This invention relates to a computer system and more particularly to a smart molecule system embedded in any physical object and assigned to one or more external information sources in order to interact with and integrate dynamic information in the physical object.
Advances in computer processing power and network communications have made information from a wide variety sources available to users on most computer systems. Computer networking enables computer users to access information stored in distant databases and to share information, software applications and hardware devices with other users attached to the network. Today, computers connected to the Internet have almost instant access to information stored in relatively distant regions. Moreover, computers connected to networks other than the Internet also have access to information stored on those networks. In order to access information on a computer network, physical media such as cables or wireless methods must connect each computer to the network. In addition, network computers usually have monitors or other display devices that enables the users to access and change information.
As information technology improves, physical devices such as televisions, VCRs, cameras, phones, radios, clocks and compact disc players, among others, may be adapted to include more information and functions. At this time, some physical devices include systems that enable them to perform one or more predefined tasks. However, these devices cannot be easily adapted to perform other tasks. As the size and affordability of processors in these systems continue to decrease, more physical devices may contain systems that are powerful enough to enable them to join a network of other physical devices.
Jini(trademark) Technology from Sun Microsystems Corporation, provides a mechanism which enables independent systems to connect together in order to form an impromptu network. Each system provides interfaces and flexible services that may be used by other systems in the Jini(trademark) network. With Jini(trademark) technology, it is feasible to build a network of systems without an intermediary xe2x80x9ccomputer systemxe2x80x9d and without prior installation procedures and hardware.
According to Jini(trademark), when each system in the network is created, it must conform to certain underlying protocol. Jini(trademark) connection architecture requires a protocol that enables each system in the Jini(trademark) network to discover a lookup service and to join the lookup service. When a system is connected to a Jini(trademark) network, the system must first locate the lookup service. Upon discovering the lookup service, the system then joins the network by loading all of its interfaces into a lookup service menu. The lookup service thereafter acts as a switchboard by connecting a server system (system providing service to another system) to a client system (system requesting service from another system). When a service is requested, the server system interfaces are copied from the lookup service menu to the requesting client system. Thereafter, the lookup service is not involved in any of the resulting interactions between the client and server systems. Since each system conforms to the Jini(trademark) protocol, interaction is ensured and current installation drivers and procedures are not utilized.
Software in these devices must be implemented in Java(trademark) programming language, which provides the underling object model used by Jini(trademark) technology. Jini(trademark) also requires Java(trademark) Remote Method Invocation (RMI) technology in order to move between Java(trademark) virtual machines, software objects associated with the lookup service, and other Jini(trademark) network services and devices.
Jini(trademark) technology suffers from several drawbacks, for example, current processors in current systems cannot be adapted to access Jini(trademark) network. Moreover, by requiring software in systems that are compatible with Jini(trademark) technology to be implemented in the Java programming language, Jini(trademark) technology introduces a limitation unacceptable for many manufacturers. The use of non-compatible technology may also slow down the migration by these manufacturers from currently used programming languages to Java(trademark) programming language. Additionally, there are current standard protocols, such as, TCP/IP/HTTP, SMTP, and FTP, which are already widely accepted in the computer industry, and which may already be used by manufacturers. What is needed therefore is a system using current standard protocols that integrates information from one or more information sources into a physical device.
The present invention relates to a smart molecule system that may be embedded in a physical device in order to integrate information from external information sources in the physical device. The smart molecule system obtains information from external sources by connecting to a smart molecule service in a computer system through a URL to Number Transformation Algorithm (UNT) number. The UNT performs bi-directional transformation between the UNT number and a corresponding URL, thereby enabling physical devices with smart molecule systems to obtain information from the Web without using alphanumeric characters. Upon creating the UNT number and assigning it to an information source, a service provider distributes the UNT number to the smart molecule in order for the smart molecule to access the information stored therein. Alternatively, a user of a physical device with alphanumeric characters may enter the URL in the physical device, connect to the smart molecule service and retrieve information from a corresponding information source through the smart molecule service.
It is an object of this invention to connect the smart molecule system with current computer networks in order to transmit information from the computer networks to the smart molecule system.
It is another object of the invention to create a UNT number, register the UNT number with the appropriate authorities, assign a parameter portion of the UNT number to an information source, set up a smart molecule service to access the information source and process the UNT number, and distribute the UNT number to smart molecule systems.
It is another object of the invention to use the UNT number to connect smart molecule software components in the smart molecule system to one or more smart molecule services in order to transmit data from the information sources to the smart molecule software components.
It is another object of the present invention to transmit data from the external information source to the smart molecule system by using standard networking protocols.
It is another object of the invention to process transmitted data on the smart molecule software component in order to identify the occurrence of a predetermined event.
It is another object of the invention to activate a physical attribute of the physical device upon the occurrence of the predetermined event.
It is another object of the invention for the smart molecule software component to transmit instructions, to perform a predefined action, to the computer network in response to an external interaction with a physical attribute of the physical device.
It is another object of the invention for the smart molecule software component collect information in a smart molecule memory and transmit the information to the computer network in response to an external interaction with a physical attribute of the physical device.
It is yet another object of the invention to extend the functionality of the smart molecule system by attaching a smart atom system that performs predefined tasks to the smart molecule system.
It is yet still another object of the invention to extend the functionality of the smart molecule system by creating a smart organism, i.e., a computer environment for allowing flexible interaction between smart molecule systems that are embedded in multiple physical objects.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the system particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a system embedded in a physical device, the system retrieving information from external information sources through a computer and integrating the external information with the physical device, the system comprises: a central processor for controlling processing operations and connecting the system to the computer, the computer having a software application for defining a service component and assigning the service component to information on at least one external information source, the service component retrieving the information from the external information source, upon receiving the information the software application formatting the information in a predetermined format and transmitting the information to the system after the system subscribes to the service component; a memory for storing information transmitted from the software application; and a software component for processing information stored in the memory in order to activate a physical attribute of the physical device in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event, the software component further instructing the software application to perform predefined tasks upon the occurrence of the predetermined event and interaction with a physical attribute of the physical device.
The invention also provides a software component in a system that is embedded in a physical device, the system retrieving information from external information sources through a computer and integrating the external information with the physical device, the software component comprises: a set of properties for defining the software component""s characteristics; at least one interface to other software components and systems; a set of methods for processing information; and means for connecting to a service component in the computer, accessing information transmitted to a memory in the system from an external information source through the service component, processing information transmitted from the external information source, activating physical attributes of the physical device in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event and performing predefined functions on the computer in response to an external interaction with the one or more physical attributes of the physical device.
The invention also provides a computer environment for allowing flexible interaction of a plurality of systems, at least one system embedded in a physical device comprises: a central processor for controlling processing operations and connecting the system to the computer, the computer having a software application for defining a service component and assigning the service component to information on at least one external information source, the service component retrieving the information from the external information source, upon receiving the information the software application formatting the information in a predetermined format and transmitting the information to the system after the system subscribes to the service component; a memory for storing information transmitted from the software application; and a software component for processing information stored in the memory in order to activate a physical attribute of the physical device in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event, the software component further instructing the software application to perform predefined tasks upon the occurrence of the predetermined event and interaction with a physical attribute of the physical device.
The invention alternatively provides a system embedded in a physical device, the system retrieving information from external information sources through a computer and integrating the external information with the physical device, the system comprising: a central processor for controlling processing operations; a memory for storing information retrieved from the external information source; a software component for processing information stored in the memory; means for assigning the external information source to a service component in the computer through a set of numbers, connecting the system to the service component, transmitting information from the external information source to the memory and executing through the software component information stored in the memory; means for activating a physical attribute of the physical device in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event during execution of the information on the software component; and means for performing one or more predefined functions on the computer in response to activating the one or more physical attributes and in response to external interaction with the one or more physical attributes.
The invention further provides a method of retrieving information from external information sources through a computer and integrating the information with a system in a physical device, the method comprising the steps of: controlling processing operations through a central processor in the system; storing information retrieved from the external information source in a memory in the system; processing information stored in the memory through a software component in the system; assigning the external information source to a service component in the computer through a subset of a UNT number; connecting the system to the service component; transmitting information from the external information source to the memory and executing through the software component information stored in the memory; activating a physical attribute of the physical device in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event during execution of the information on the software component; and performing one or more predefined functions on the computer in response to the step of activating the one or more physical attributes and in response to external interaction with the one or more physical attributes.
In yet another alternative, the invention provides a system embedded in a physical device, the system retrieving information from external information sources through a computer and integrating the external information with the physical device, the system comprises: a central processor for controlling processing operations and connecting the system to the computer, the computer having a software application for defining a service component and assigning the service component to information on at least one external information source, the service component retrieving the information from the external information source, upon receiving the information the software application formatting the information in a predetermined format and transmitting the information to the system after the system subscribes to the service component; a memory for storing information transmitted from the software application; and a software component for periodically transmitting information stored in the memory to the software application and/or to the service component, the software application and or service component further processing the transmitted information or distributing it to external sources.